New Challenge

(snow in Austin 2-23-10-edited photo so you can see snow on my hat:))

(70 degrees in Austin on 2-21-10, crazy change in temps!)

2-23-10

Great news on next fundraising goal. Running For Ryan for Wounded Warrior Project is going to team up with the Chicago Area Runner's Club (CARA). This is another non-profit org. that will train you for a marathon, and in exchange you can run for a charity. There is a fee for this training, and I will give the details as soon as we have it all put together. But basically they will be your training club and you would pick a charity to run for, like us!:) You don't have to be a part of this club to Run For Ryan, but this is going to be a great option for someone who wants to run the Chicago Marathon and lives in the Chicago area and needs a running club. I had a great 7 mile run today around Town Lake. No one was out in the semi-snowy weather, so I enjoyed a private run and the snowflakes that brushed my cheeks. It feels good to be out and getting some miles in again. I definitely needed this after taking a week off.

2-22-10 Post Marathon Emotions

First official day of this next challenge. I took a week off after the Austin Marathon, and maybe that's my problem. I cannot sleep. I have been an insomniac lately. First couple of days I was probably living off the excitement of finishing my first marathon. Then, I came up with the idea to do another race/fundraiser, so I thought about that. Then, the anxiety crept in, what if I fail, and ruin the high spirit of what we just accomplished in Austin? Since I am being so open with my feelings, I balled my eyes out last night (Sunday). In the middle of all this I also had a riff with someone close to me. It has nothing to do with Running For Ryan, but it was something extra to throw into the potpourri of emotions I felt after my first marathon. So, I called a friend up and told this person, I am going nuts. This person, said, "no it's normal, it's the post race blues".

Feeling a little better, I took some advice from this friend, and headed out for a run after work. Max in tow this time, with stroller, I did an easy breezy 3 mile run. Instantly my shoulders relaxed, the cool air felt great, and Max hopped out and ran a mile with me! He seems to like running already. No pressure on the kid, but it was pretty cool to jog along with him. Gotta get him going on the bike, because, at nearly 5, it's a haul to push him in a jogging stroller these days.

Still a little wired tonight, I feel a little more at ease, and very excited to have found a potential solution to getting this team built for Chicago. I will let you know soon.